Bloom
by badandbhuti
Summary: " The Tale of Namikaze Naruto...yes..that has a nice ring to it..."
1. The Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.

Rating: M for Language and Violence.

* * *

" You say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us and the world will as one. "

* * *

Prologue. 

* * *

_"Naruto, it's a beautiful name."_

 _"…This is your dad. Listen…to your nagging mother."_

 _"Naruto…you're going to experience a lot of pain and suffering. Remember who you are! Find a goal…a dream…and don't stop until it comes true. There's…there's so much more that I want to say…to teach you…I want to stay with you… I love you."_

* * *

Labored breathing could be heard in the small room. Unfocused eyes darted around as if searching for a creature embraced by the pitch black darkness that was blanketing the room with only glimmers of the fluorescent light of the moon through the window.

Movement is heard when nearly inaudible footsteps _glide_ over the wooden floor, heading to the small opening where a bright light glows.

The door slowly creaks open as a body shuffles into the bathroom. Water splashes with flesh, ridding him of all the sweat and fatigue on his face. Drying off his face, the boy stares into the mirror.

For a boy his age – or any age rather – he is quite handsome. Unruly blonde sun-kissed hair at the top of his head, that alone would have set him apart from the people of _Hi no Kuni_ – who are predominantly dark haired.

Dark whisker-like marks marred his tan cheeks giving him a slightly feral look. The most mesmerizing aspect of his face were his cerulean orbs that become brighter than the day sky to his precious people and a darker, cold azure to his enemies.

This boy is Namikaze Naruto.

Unknown to the Sandaime Hokage, Naruto was aware of his heritage. After all, he had seen them in visions.

'Or rather _memories_.'he thought to himself.

He had been haunted by memories of that terrible night that occurred during his birth since he was eight years old. He closed his eyes.

 _A woman with fiery red hair using every ounce of chakra, to hold down the Kyūbi no Yoko, through her chains._

 _A man with golden hair and azure eyes flashing into the crashing room only to flash them out to safety._

 _A large malevolent creation of chakra in the form of a Fox stabbing through the chests of the golden haired man and the red haired woman._

 _The old man in a battle kimono putting him to sleep after the sealing of the beast._

Yes. He remembered it all.

He remembered that his parents died protecting him and the village.

He remembered their faces.

He remembered their last words.

" _I love you, Naruto."_

His eyes shot open and staring back at him were silver rippled eyes with three concentric circles around the pupil.

'I am Namikaze Naruto, son of the _Kiiroi Senko_ and _Akai Chishio no Habanero_.'

Silver eyes faded back to azure, blazing with determination.

'And I am Child of Prophecy.'


	2. Academy I

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters of the Narutoverse.

Rating: M for Language and Violence.

* * *

"It gives me strength to have somebody to fight for; I can never fight for myself, but, for others, I can kill."

* * *

Academy I

* * *

Konoha: 5:39 AM

With sunshine glimmering in the horizon, melting the morning dew pasted on the glass window, it was yet a new day in _Konohagakure no Sato._

Being prosperous as it is, the Village was already bustling with activity in these early morning hours. Shop owners flipping their _closed_ signs to _open_ and the laborers stocking up the shelves with new products.

On the buildings, shinobi and kunoichi alike can be seen running across the building – probably coming from long missions.

It is at these hours that you can see the beauty of the Konoha. And it is also the time a blonde boy looks over at the Village from the Yondaime's rocky head on the Hokage Mountain.

Naruto never ceases to be amazed by the beauty of the village from this vantage point whether it be dawn or dusk.

'Unfortunately the same can't be said for the people within.' He thought resentfully.

Despite having protected the village since his birth, the people saw it differently. They saw the beast incarnate instead of the hero their precious Yondaime had given them.

However, Naruto couldn't blame them for their ignorance; loss and hurt did give birth to pain and hatred.

Sighing, the boy stood up and started walking back to the village.

* * *

Konoha Academy: 7:55 AM

Arriving at the academy has always been a habit of his, thanks to the early mornings of overlooking at the village.

Five minutes before classes begin and he was already walking through the door labeled _Room 214._ Walking into class heading to the row at the other end of the room, he spots an oddly shaped top of dark hair.

Sitting next to this person, the boy begins.

"I thought you weren't coming in today, _dobe_." Said the dark haired boy.

"Then you'd have to deal with your fan girls on your own, _teme."_ Naruto smirked as the dark haired boy visibly winced.

"You didn't have go that far." Said the boy as he turned around to his best friend's line of sight.

"Someone has to be here to take you down a peg or two, Sasuke." Said Naruto as both boys smirked as they bumped fists.

Uchiha Sasuke, the heir of the Uchiha clan, gave a small smile as he brought back his hand. The boy was slightly pale and had dark eyes which highlighted his jet black hair which was – according to Naruto – in the shape of a duck-butt.

This has been their usual morning routine since they met all those years ago.

* * *

 _Flashback._

 _Naruto was walking down the path that led to a secret – to himself really – training ground. Walking down that wooded path, he walked past a pond that was situated next to a clearing._

 _In that clearing he could hear the sound of shuriken whipping through the air at very fast rates and thumping sounds signaling that they had struck their targets._

 _Moving closer, he could hear the voice of a boy his age or younger exclaiming about how his nii-san should teach him how to do that. Walking into the clearing, he noticed two dark haired boys, the other being noticeably older than both of them._

 _The older one had dark hair pulled into a ponytail. His back was turned to him but his posture was that of a person ready to strike at any moment._

 _In front of the older boy stood a short dark haired boy. Said boy was still chattering excitedly to his brother and barely noticed Naruto's presence._

 _The older boy turned to Naruto's direction and a flash of recognition flittered in his dark eyes so fast that if one had seen it , they might have thought it to be their imagination._

 _Not Naruto._

 _Just as Naruto was about to leave, the small boy stopped him in his tracks._

" _Hey, wait! Who are you?" Said the small boy._

 _Turning around, Naruto found the older boy – who had an expression of amusement on his face – looking at his younger brother._

" _Now Sasuke-kun, that isn't very polite. When you want to know someone else's name, you have to introduce yourself first." The younger boy, Sasuke, had the decency to blush with a look of indignation on his face._

" _But nii-san, he's the one who walked into our training field!" He said folding his arms, with a pout gracing his lips._

 _The older brother just smiled at the boy's actions, "I apologize for his actions, Naruto-kun. My name is Uchiha Itachi and this is my little brother, Sasuke."_

 _Naruto's eyes slightly widened._

' _Karasu-nii.' He thought as he recognized the voice._

 _Karasu was one of the three ANBU the Sandaime had ordered to protect Naruto from the shadows. Karasu, Neko and Inu were his three protectors._

" _It's okay, I was the one to intrude anyway." Naruto said, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish expression._

" _You still haven't told us your name, idiot." Said Sasuke as he glared at Naruto._

" _My apologies. My name's Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo." Said a grinning Naruto._

" _I knew he was an idiot." Sasuke said with a dry look._

" _Oi! I'm not an idiot, you teme!" Said Naruto while raising his right fist._

" _What did you call me!?"_

" _You heard me!"_

" _You're gonna get it, idiot!"_

" _Come get it, teme!"_

 _Before the boy's could advance, Sasuke fell back on his behind after being poked by Itachi._

" _Nii-san, What was that for!?"_

" _What did I tell you about starting fights, Sasuke-kun?" Said Itachi looking rather disappointed at his little brother._

 _Sasuke looked down ashamedly, mumbling some incoherent words._

" _What was that?" Replied an expectant Itachi._

" _A proper Shinobi doesn't go around around starting random fights without knowing the strengths of their op-look I'm sorry , okay ? Sheesh." Said Sasuke with a blush on his face, looking away, only to find Naruto guffawing pointing in his direction causing Sasuke to blush harder._

" _Oh man…you should see the look on your face!" Naruto continued while Itachi chuckled at their actions._

 _Some minutes later after calming down, Itachi asked a question – despite knowing the answer to it._

" _Naruto-kun, where were you heading off to before you stopped here?" Said Itachi as he glanced at the blonde boy._

" _I was going to train alone, you know, since I have no one to train with." Said Naruto with a slightly dejected look which caused his eyes to dim a little._

 _Sasuke was sobered by those words and looked to his brother._

" _Nii-san, why don't we let him train with us? It be better for me to have someone my age and height to train with!" Said Sasuke with excited eyes._

 _Itachi chuckled at his brother rather ingenious idea. "Of course. Naruto-kun can join us whenever he feels like it." He said glancing at the blonde boy._

 _The boy's eyes widened slightly at this prospect and an excited grin ripped his calm face, threatening to split his jaw in two. "Of course! If you guys don't mind"_

" _Not at all, Naruto-kun. You're welcome at anytime." Said Itachi with a small smile._

" _Yosh! Now I can beat up the idiot legally."_

" _Shut it, teme!"_

 _Unbeknownst to them, this was their first step to their brotherhood._

 _Flashback End._

* * *

Hokage Tower: 2:45 PM

After another tedious day at the academy, Naruto decided to visit the Hokage. Walking up to the door of the Hokage's Office, the secretary glanced in his direction and smiled.

"Good afternoon, Naruto-kun. Hokage-sama should be free in a few minutes. So why don't you just sit on that bench over there and I'll call you over when he's done, okay?" Said the secretary.

"Okay, Izumi-nee-chan." Said Naruto as he gave the named secretary a small smile.

Izumi smiles back at the blonde boy. It still irked her how the villagers could look at such a polite boy with cruel animosity.

A few minutes minutes later, the door to the Hokage's Office opened and out walked a bearded man with a cigarette on his lips. The man noticed the boy sitting on the bench and walked towards him being followed by a beautiful dark haired woman.

"Naruto." Said the slightly dark bearded man with a smile.

"Asuma." Responded the blonde boy with a smile of his own. "Going to bag her already?" He said with a smirk on his face.

Asuma turned beet red as he clomped his hand over Naruto's mouth.

"Shh. Do you want her to kill me, you idiot!?" He said looking around frantically, just in case the woman – or someone else – overhead them.

Mumbling into his hand, Asuma was forced to move it.

"As I was saying, when are you going to ask her out? It's been too long and you still haven't done _anything._ Here I thought I'd found a suitable male role model." Said Naruto shaking his head disappointedly at Asuma's plight.

Asuma's left eye twitched. "Shut it, gaki." As he bopped him on his head. "I'm gonna bag her one day."

"Well, well, well. If it isn't little Naru-kun. What are you two boys discussing here?" Said a sultry voice with a noticeable edge.

' _Shit!'_ thought both the males.

Naruto being both quick in mind and on his feet turned into a blur and appeared next to the secretary's desk.

"Well, it was nice catching up Asuma. See you around!" As the blonde boy vanished into the room.

' _Why would you do that to your own aniki?'_ Asuma thought as he cried anime tears at his impending doom.

"Asuma- _kun._ " Said the sing-song voice of the beautiful red-eyed woman.

* * *

Hokage's Office: 3:04 PM

Whimpers of a grown man could be heard from the other side of the door making Naruto sweat-drop at his brother's actions.

After what occurred the last time, Naruto had decided to keep himself from being in the same vicinity with Yuhi Kurenai.

Turning his attention to the old man behind the desk, he could see the mirth dancing in his eyes highlighted by the grin on his face.

"I don't know how you have such dangerous people working under you, Jiji, but my respect for you always goes up a bit." Said Naruto incredulously.

The Hokage just chuckled at the boy's antics; just another day for Uzumaki Naruto. "I'm surprised that you escaped this time, considering what happened last time…" the Hokage trailed off as he saw the look of indignation marring the boy's face.

"Oi! You don't have to remind me." He said as he pouted slightly and looked away from the old man. The Hokage merely chuckled.

"So what brings you to my this, Naruto-kun?" Asked the Hokage.

"Well, I was wondering if you had a justu similar to the _Bunshin_ but one that takes more chakra. I've theorized that since I have _way_ more chakra than a normal student – or Genin – I should be able to use the type of clone jutsu I've seen Jōnin use." Said Naruto.

'Well this is certainly new.' Thought the Hokage as he noticed the glint in the boy's cerulean eyes that he last saw in another pair over twelve years ago.

"That was quite the deduction, Naruto-kun." He saw the boy beam at the praise. "But that justu does take a _lot_ of chakra which is why only a few of the _Elite Jōnin_ can use it." The boy looked down in disappointment. "However, considering your large reserves, I believe the chakra consumption won't be much of an issue to you."

Naruto looked up with an excited gleam in his eyes. "I won't let you down, Jiji." The old Hokage smiled at the boy.

Just as he was about to respond to Naruto, the door to the Office was smacked wide open, as a blue blur – to lesser ninja, of course – ran in with a wooden kunai in its hand.

"I've got you now, Old Man! I'm gonna beat you and become Hokage!" Said the boy while running towards the desk.

Just the boy was preparing to leap onto the Hokage's desk, his short feet entangled with his overly-long blue scarf and tripped. The Hokage could only tip his head down in shame at his grandson's _third_ attempt at his life today.

The boy jumped up, looking around the room frantically until he found a suitable scapegoat.

"You! You tripped me!" The boy said glaring at the tall blonde boy in front of him. The blonde boy just raised an eyebrow at the shrimp glaring at him.

"Well, I would have tripped you but your scarf did the job for me." He said with a smirk gracing his lips. The Hokage chuckled, knowing what was coming next.

"I'm the Hokage's grandson, so you have to apologize for tripping me!" Said the boy with a smug expression and his chest puffed out.

"I don't care if he's your grandmother, I'm not apologizing." The boy immediately deflated at those words. "Jiji, I'll come by tomorrow to fetch that scroll." Said Naruto as he mock-saluted at the Hokage and _vanished._

* * *

Konoha Market District: 3:25 PM

"THAT WAS SOO COOL!" Could be heard from the tree he was perched on meters away from the Tower.

'Yeah it is.' He thought to himself as he jumped down to the nearest building. 'I think I should go and visit Tou-san and Kaa-san.'

Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, he stopped at the edge of the Market District where _Yamanaka Flowers_ was situated. Jumping down to the streets, he walked to the establishment he frequented quite a number of times over the past four years. Pushing the door open, a chiming bell can be head from the doorframe.

"Welcome to Yamanaka Flowers. How can I h–Ah Naruto-kun?" Said a slightly surprised elderly female voice.

The boy smiled. "Yamanaka-san. How are you this afternoon?"

"I am very well thanks, how are you? It has been a while since you last came here." Said the Yamanaka woman at the counter with a smile.

"I am well, thank you. I've been preoccupied lately since the exams are nearing." He responded in kind.

"Ah yes, Ino-chan can't stop going on and on about it. It reminds me of the old days." Said the woman as she chuckled thinking about her rather excitable daughter. "The usual, I presume?"

"Yes please." He replied having noticed the woman being drawn into her thoughts for a moment.

A few minutes later, he was handed a bouquet consisting of Jasmines, Daisies and White and Purple Heathers.

"Thank you, Yamanaka-san." He bowed his head in respect and turned around to leave.

"Do come again, Naruto-kun. ." Said the woman.

The woman could see the smile on the boy's face thanks to his reflection on the mirror next to the door.

"Will do." He said as he vanished into nothingness.

* * *

Konoha Monumental Stone: 4:10 PM

After having walked to the Monumental Stone, Naruto arrived to find a silver haired man talking to himself.

"…He's just like you, Sensei. I wish you could see him now, you'd be proud of him." Said the man unaware of Naruto nearing the Stone. "I just hope that I'll be the person you were to me, to him as well."

Naruto stood next to the silver haired man and knelt down, placing flowers on the stone and saying a short prayer for the deceased. Glancing to his left, he notices that the man's eye was covered with his slanted hitai-ate, which caused his hair to fall over slightly.

The man was clad in a standard Jōnin outfit consisting of blue sandals, blue pants that went to his shins. Underneath the green flak-jacket – which identified him as an elite – was a blue long-sleeved top and on his hands were blue fingerless metal plated gloves.

"You know," the boy started. "They wouldn't be proud of you for sulking for this long." This wasn't the first time they'd come across each other at the Stone. "They died protecting us so we could grow older, stronger so that we better protect the village and our precious people."

"Then how come you come here so frequently?" Asked the silver-haired man.

"To remind myself of the promise I made at this Stone." He said in a quiet tone.

The silver haired mans lone eye widened and glanced at his right to look at the boy, only to find nothingness in his place. But the voice echoed.

"To end all wars and bring peace to the Shinobi World, that is my dream."

At that moment, a spark was reignited in the silver haired man's heart as he remembered.

 _A man with a kunai in his chest lying on the floor of their home with a pool of blood underneath him._

 _A boy crushed underneath a rock but still smiling at his friends, an empty socket were his eye once was._

 _A girl with purple marking's on her cheeks, smiling at him, his arm through her chest._

 _A blonde haired man and a red haired woman lying in the open field with a bundle in their hands._

"And I'll be there by your side, Naruto." He said as he walked away from the Stone.

* * *

Author's note: I'll try updating bi-weekly. Feel free to give any thoughts or opinions about the story so far.


	3. Academy II

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters of the Narutoverse.

Rating: M for Language and Violence.

* * *

"In the beginning it was all black and white."

* * *

Academy II

Konoha Forrest: Undisclosed Location

A dull thump resounded in the training area. The field's surface is filled with holes, uprooted grass and fallen trees.

In the middle of the field, a body of a young teenager can be seen lying down due to the exhaustion he had acquired during the attempt of this devastating technique.

Chakra.

It is the essence that allows the existence of shinobi. Chakra is the balance between physical energy and spiritual energy. With chakra, one's body is strengthened to levels far above of that an average human being.

Chakra increases the speed, strength and durability of shinobi and it allows them to perform mainly ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu. Without low chakra, one's body becomes weak and upon its complete depletion, they die.

'And I have that in spades.'

Naruto eyes blinked open at the sky as he woke up from his exhaustion induced sleep. It was early in the morning, with the sun just touching the horizon signaling a new day.

He had been out here since the the previous evening attempting a difficult technique which, once learned, would be completely advantageous in a battle.

Sitting up, he looks around the field noticing the destruction he had made due to the technique he was learning.

Sighing at the thought of being so close but yet so far from mastering the technique, he walks to the edge of the field and forms a snake seal.

' _Fuinjutsu: Heimen Kaikaku_.' he intoned.

The field began to reform with the holes in the earth filling up and being covered by the grass, followed by the trees' roots digging into the ground and pulling the trees upright.

The seals surrounding the field stopped glowing as the field finished reforming. Turning around and looking towards the Village, he smiled.

'This is the day...' he thought as he started sprinting towards the Village.

'Our genesis.'

* * *

Konoha: Hyūga Clan Estate

The morning sun peaked through the blinds of one of the rooms in the Hyūga Estate and directly struck the eyes of the room's occupant. Slight moaning and shifting can be heard from the bed in the middle of the room.

The movement increased as the person became entirely restless and sat up in her bed. Rubbing off the fatigue from her eyes, Hyūga Hinata yawns with the elegance of a daughter of the Daimyō.

Not that the elegance was misplaced, she truly is a princess. Having born to the head of the clan, Hyūga Hiashi, she was treated as a princess. Hinata pearly white eyes drifted towards the clock on her bedside as it struck 6:00 AM.

'Today is the day.' She thought to herself 'The day that everything changes.'

She got up and walked to her bathroom so flawlessly as though the wooden tiles beneath her worshiped her for walking on them.

Having prepared for this day for quite some time, she thinks back to the time she met one of the people who share the same dream as she does.

* * *

 _Flashback._

" _Let her go! What did she ever do to you!?" Said a young blonde boy as he challenged the three older boys who had been bullying her._

" _You little shit! I'll teach you a lesson." Said the leader of the gang as he sped towards the blonde boy who stood calmly staring at him._

 _The blonde boy slipped into an opening stance with his legs spread apart and slightly crouched and his left arm pulled towards his chest and his right arm and palm opened and stretched towards his left knee._

 _This peculiar stance surprised those in the vicinity and that was all the blonde boy needed as the leader of the gang was upon him._

 _Shifting flawlessly and effortlessly, the blonde boy dipped down to the ground as he let his left leg sweep the older boy's legs. The boy yelled as he lost balance and stared in shock as the blonde boy's right palm started heading towards his chest._

 _It struck. And it hurt as hell._

 _The older boy coughed out as his lungs lost the precious essence that runs them. Tumbling down to the ground, his drop brought the wake of a deadly silence._

" _I'm going to ask you again. Please leave Hyūga-san alone and don't ever bother her again." Said the blonde boy in a cold voice._

 _That tone alone could have caused the remaining boy's to run amok but the cold blue of his eyes froze them to their spots more than the actual cold that was around them._

 _The blonde boy turned to the girl behind him knowing that the bullies were fleeing from the area._

" _Are you okay, Hyūga-san? They did not hurt you, did they?" Said the blonde boy with a concerned tone._

" _A-ano, they did not hurt me..." Said the pearl eyed girl as she stared at the boy who had protected her a few minutes earlier._

 _He had bright unruly blonde hair and deep cerulean eyes. The feature that stood out the most were his whisker-like birth marks on his cheeks. He seemed to be about her age or older with the way he held himself._

" _Uzumaki Naruto. You can stop staring now." She heard as she was interrupted from her thoughts. She blushed brightly as she noticed the amused expression on his face._

" _A-a-ano, gomen Naruto-san." She said as she stared at her fingers which were poking each other; a habit she had tried letting go of._

" _It's okay." He started, a smile on his face. "What's your name? I can see with your eyes that you're from the Hyūga Clan."_

" _A-ano, yes. My name is Hyūga Hinata." She said as she looked up to the boy's face._

" _Nice to meet you, Hinata-hime."_

 _Flashback End._

* * *

Konoha: 7:45

"Naruto-kun." Said Hinata as she spotted the blonde hair of her closest friend.

"Hinata-hime, good morning." Said the blonde boy as she watched Hinata walk out of her family's Estate.

"Now now, Naruto. You promise to take care of my niece?" Said a beautiful womanly voice which was followed by a beautiful dark haired woman who had the standard pupil-less eyes of the Hyūga Clan.

"Of course, Hinami-sama. You have my word." Naruto said with a firm tone.

"As you always do, Naruto-kun." Said Hinami with a smile on her face. "Neji-kun is out on a mission today but he told me to wish you luck on your exam today."

"Arigato, Hinami-oba." Said as she and Naruto started walking towards the Konoha Academy.

Walking down the path in a comfortable silence, Hinata glances at Naruto who seemed to be lost in thought.

"No need to be so anxious about this, Naruto-kun. Everything will go well." Said Hinata in a soft tone. "This is just the beginning and it'll take years for our plans to be completed."

"That's what I'm worried about, Hinata. We don't have years. Something is coming and I know you can feel it too." Said the blonde boy as he glanced at his companion. "So the sooner we become stronger, the better are our chances of survival." He finished in a low voice.

"Hai, Naruto-kun." Said Hinata in a firm tone.

Having taken the long route around the Village Market section, they would be arriving at the school in a few minutes.

"So, Hinata-chan?" Started Naruto. "Any guesses on who we'll have as our sensei? I mean, it's quite obvious that the both of us and the teme will be in the same squad." He said while putting his arms behind his head in a laidback fashion.

"I've thought about it and the most probable sensei we might get is Hatake Kakashi." Replied Hinata, who was studying the various plants of the Senju Park. "I wouldn't mind him."

"Yeah." Said Naruto slowly as they exited the forested Park. With much more vigor than before. "Yeah! Then we'll be the strongest team ever!" He said excitedly before grabbing Hinata's hand.

"Come on, Hinata-chan. We're wasting time here." Without much warning, he took to the rooftops with the poor heiress who was being flailed around due to the top speeds Naruto was moving in.

Konoha Academy: 7:58

Today was the day for the Graduation Exam which would allow Academy students to become Genin. So, it was to be expected that the students would be excited more than usual.

Umino Iruka glanced around the classroom looking at the young men and women whom he'd had a hand in bringing up since they had started attending the Academy four years prior.

Looking around, he could see some of the prideful civilian children who believed they had what it took to become Genin. He shook his head at that thought. It is never that easy.

His eyes sped over the numerous students in his class. A blonde haired girl arguing with her pink haired friend. A chubby brown haired boy with swirls on his cheeks eating a bag of chips while sitting next to a dark haired boy who was already dozing off in the few minutes he had been in class. He noticed a wild looking boy with purple fang like markings on his cheeks talking boisterously to a dark haired boy who wore shades to cover his eyes. These ones where amongst the most promising of the class.

He eyes moved over to the desks along the windows until he noticed a boy who wore his jet black hair in a ponytail.

'Just like his brother.' Iruka thought to himself. Having been in the same class for a year with Uchiha Itachi, he could see the strong resemblance amongst the two. Both in looks and skills.

Sasuke Uchiha was slated as a genius. A child born with such prodigious talent for being a shinobi. He was smart, skilled and tactful. All the necessary elements of a _true shinobi_.

His latent sensory perception detected two chakras coming in at a fast pace. He smiled as he looked up at the clock.

The classroom door slammed open as Uzumaki Naruto and Hyūga Hinata sped into the classroom.

'Guess it's time to get to work.' Iruka thought shaking his head.

"NARUTO! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING SLAMMING MY DOOR LIKE THAT?!" Shouted Iruka as his head somehow grew three times it's size.

Naruto winced having stopped when he sensed chakra being used by his teacher. He turned to Iruka with his down.

"Gomen, Iruka-sensei." He said as his left hand started scratching behind his head sheepishly. "I just didn't want to be late, is all."

Iruka's shoulders slumped as he sighed. _Of course._ Narutowouldn't want to be late. "Go to your desk." Iruka muttered defeatedly.

Iruka watched as Naruto immediately rushed to his place between Hinata and Sasuke. If these three were to be in one squad, they would be the second-coming of the _Densetsu no Sennin_.

Hyūga Hinata, heiress is the Hyūga Clan, was considered to be amongst the best from this generation's Hyūga. Her talent for the _Hyūga-ryū: Jyūken._ Her vision was excellent even without the use of her Byakugan. Having trained with her cousin, Hyūga Neji is hailed as the genius of the clan, it was not unexpected for her to become the best kunoichi-in-training in the graduating class.

Then there is Uzumaki Naruto. His aptitude for shinobi arts is unexplainable. The boy was skilled in every area, be it ninjutsu or taijutsu. _Especially ninjutsu._ He and Sasuke were always ranked first and second overall, vice versa.

Iruka shook his head as he steered himself to the task at hand.

"Good morning. Today is the day you have all been training for for the past four years. Do your best." He said as he began. "The exam will consist of a written test and the performance of the three E-ranked ninjutsu which are the _Bunshin no jutsu, Kawarimi no jutsu_ and _Henge no jutsu._ " He finished by looking up to his students

Some students, mostly the civilian-born, moaned and groaned while the clan-born students stayed calm.

"We shall begin with the written exam now. Good luck." Said Iruka as he and his assistant, Mizuki, began handing out the papers.

"You have one hour." Said Iruka.

"Hai, sensei!" Came the chant from the students.

"Begin, now." As the clock struck 8:10.

* * *

Konoha Academy: 9:10

"Your time's up. Please pass on your papers to the person in front of you and so on." Iruka instructed.

The students passed on their papers, some with distress and some confidence etched on their faces. After the papers had been collected, Iruka began.

"Now, you shall be called in alphabetical to the next room to perform the Academy standard ninjutsu. Starting with Azumi Ken…"

And so it went on that the students were called to the next room. Some came out with melancholic expressions while others came out with their hitai-ate glistening from their aura of utter happiness.

"Hyūga Hinata." Came the voice of Mizuki who stood by the door with a check board.

"Good luck, Hinata." Came the support from Naruto and Sasuke. She smiled as she went to the room, quietly following behind Mizuki.

"I have a bad feeling about Mizuki." Started Naruto.

"He's planning something. Something bad." Said Sasuke. "We have to keep an eye on what he does." Naruto nodded at that plan.

Many students were called in after Hinata until it came for Sasuke and eventually Naruto to be called to the room. Naruto came in and stood in before Iruka and Mizuki who were seated behind a desk.

"Naruto, please perform the _Kawarimi."_ Naruto did as he was told and substituted with a chair. "Good. Now perform the Henge." Naruto transformed into an exact replica of the Sandaime Hokage. "Amazing. I can barely spot any differences between you and Sandaime-sama."

"Thank you, Sensei." Said Naruto with a small smile of appreciation. His _Henge_ was unique after all.

"Now, please perform the _Bunshin no jutsu_ for us." Said Iruka. Naruto formed the tiger seal and focused his chakra. Ten replicas of himself appeared without any smoke.

"Wow! That was amazing. Seems like you've completely mastered the jutsu." Said Iruka with a proud look on his face. "Come and get your hitai-ate. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei." Said Naruto as he tied his hitai-ate to his forehead. He exited the room but was stopped by Mizuki.

"Naruto! How would you like to become the rookie of the year." Said an eager Mizuki.

Naruto smirked.

* * *

Author's note: I apologize for not keeping up on my promise of posting a chapter bi-weekly. I'll try to keep up to it.


	4. Academy III

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters of this particular universe. All rights belong to Kishimoto Masashi.

Rating: M for Language and Violence.

* * *

"For the devil has no power…except in the dark." – Madame Dorothea

* * *

Academy III

Konohagakure no Sato

It is in the late hours of the day that shinobi are at their most active. The embracing darkness of the night covers the true nature of shinobi.

Shinobi are spies, thieves and murderers without any semblance of honour within them. They'd rather stab you in the back if it means their survival is certain.

It is within these hours that, somehow, they have lost sense of the modicum that their status gives them.

Bursting through the streets and on rooftops of Konohagakure no Sato, are shinobi and kunoichi of the Village.

Rumour had spread that one Uzumaki Naruto had infiltrated the Hokage Tower and stolen a scroll containing most of the Kinjutsu of the Village.

Now assembled at the base of the Hokage Tower, were most of the available shinobi of Konoha. There was unrest amongst the shinobi until the Hokage appeared with his personal ANBU guard.

"Hokage-sama." Bowed one shinobi as he started. "Why hasn't the boy been apprehended? Surely this is an act of treason." The shinobi around him nodded in agreement and began stating their own opinions.

The Hokage's eyes narrowed towards Mizuki. The man's tone had been almost gleeful at the prospect of ending his former student's life.

"Silence." Said the Hokage in a sharp tone. The shinobi immediately stood at attention. "As I am sure you are all aware of this situation, you are to apprehend Uzumaki Naruto and bring him to me. Use force, if necessary, but do not dare wound him. Dismissed."

"Hai." Was the unanimous chorus of the shinobi ad they flickered away.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Naruto." Said the Hokage with a sigh.

* * *

Konohagakure no Sato: Outskirts

In a clearing in the outskirts of the Village, a blonde haired boy dressed in dark shinobi attire can be seen scribbling – faster than most children his age – into a scroll that was laid on his lap, while the larger one was laid on the forest floor.

Rolling up his scroll and placing it in his weapons pouch, he stands immediately once he senses someone approaching the vicinity. A figure leaped down from the trees and landed a few feet away from him.

"Naruto, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Said the figure in a terse tone. "Do you have any idea of the repercussions you'll face when you're taken back to the Village?!" The figure shouted at the end of his rant, having lost his composure.

The person whom he was speaking to, he noticed, was calmly rolling up the larger scroll – which must have been the one he stole, thought Iruka – and attaching to his back.

"Iruka-sensei." He started. "I was under the impression that Mizuki-sensei was the one to evaluate my performance of this test." He concluded with a bit of exuberance at the end.

Wait. _What?_

Something was _very_ wrong here. And it was at this moment of realisation that he heard shuriken whipping through the air.

Performing a very fast _Kawarimi_ , Iruka escaped in time to avoid the weapons but it dawned on him that Naruto was in danger of the second set of kunai thrown by their attacker.

Naruto immediately pulled out his own kunai and proceeded to deflect coming in his direction. On the branch that Iruka has leapt off upon his arrival stood Mizuki.

"Mizuki, stop!" Shouted Iruka, once again appearing in the clearing. "What is the meaning of this? There is no other test!" Upon looking at the man's attire and expression on his face, he realised what was going on.

"You knew this would happen." It wasn't a question. "Why are you betraying the Village?" His eyes widening at the man's visage.

Mizuki was grinning in a twisted manner which forebode his malevolent intentions.

"I always suspected you were shrewder than you let on as an academy teacher. It shouldn't be surprisingly really, considering that the Hokage entrusted to you the generation of shinobi with the most potential since the one of the Sannin." His lips then formed a frown. "Too bad I'll have to kill you to complete my goal."

Iruka's body stiffened.

Mizuki then grinned fiercely as he looked at Naruto. "And I'll be doing the Village a favour by ending the demon's life too."

Iruka glanced at Naruto just in time to see the boy tense. ' _I can't fight Mizuki and protect Naruto at the same time. Damnit.'_

"Mizuki, don't you dare. Your life is forfeit if you say anything about it." Begged Iruka once he realised where the conversation was heading. Mizuki just tossed him a twisted smile.

"Naruto, do you know why everyone in the Village hates and despises your pitiful existence?" The glee in Mizuki's voice was unmistakable as he ignored Iruka's pleas. "It's because you are the _Kyūbi no Kitsune._ " His voice now had a sing-song tone to it. "You are the beast that attacked the Village twelve years ago. Now die!" Mizuki screamed as he reached for the Fūma Shuriken on his back.

Time seemed to slow down when Iruka turned to the blonde boy, who had now lowered his head at the words of his former sensei. It was at that moment that Iruka looked up to Mizuki in fury but it all frittered away at the _Fūma Shuriken_ which was cutting through the air towards Naruto.

Time began to speed up once again and Iruka drew two kunai and placed himself in front of Naruto, protectively. What occurred next would forever astound him.

Naruto sped around Iruka – and towards the _Fūma Shuriken_ – and held out his right hand.

" _Tendō._ " Naruto muttered and immediately the _Fūma Shuriken_ stopped where it was. " _Hanpatsū_."

The shuriken – which had frozen in the air – immediately repelled back at a faster speed than it had been thrown at.

"Ugh!" Mizuki screamed and fell to his knees as he grasped at the bleeding stump that once was his right arm. "You bas-!" Mizuki was cut off by the feeling of could steel on his neck.

Iruka quickly glanced around in search of Naruto until he noticed him holding a kunai to Mizuki's neck and a _Fūma Shuriken_ where he had been standing some moments before. His face, cold and impassive, and his eyes cooler than the deepest reefs shining under the moonlight.

"What is your purpose with this scroll?" Naruto questioned with a cold tone. "Speak now or suffer the wrath of Konohagakure no Sato."

Mizuki seemed to come out of his shock and attempted to turn his face to glare at the boy behind him.

"This is for my quest of power! Someone promised me power beyond measure if I delivered this scroll to him. No one will stop me, least of all a demon like you." Mizuki snarled at Naruto in anger.

"Then your life is forfeit." Naruto stated in a tone of finality which caused a shiver to run up Mizuki's – and Iruka's – spines. In a colder tone, he whispered to Mizuki. "His name is Kurama."

Mizuki's eyes widened in shock and fear was etched onto his face.

" _Ningendō_." Naruto intoned. "Your penalty is death."

Like a marionette, Mizuki's body crumbled to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Iruka stood wide-eyed at what he had witnessed. He had seen that ghastly figure being pulled out of Mizuki.

"Iruka-sensei." Naruto said as he leapt from the ledge to Mizuki's body. "Hokage-sama is waiting for us at the Tower." He continued while sealing Mizuki's body into a stasis scroll. He then stood up and looked at his former teacher and sighed.

"I'll explain everything at the Tower." He said as he touched Iruka's shoulder and they disappeared.

* * *

Konohagakure no Sato: Hokage's Office

The Sandaime Hokage was seared at his desk, calmly filing through paperwork despite the state the Village was in at the moment. Contrary to the rumours that were spreading amongst the ranks, he did not believe in them a single bit.

Having been the witness of the crime, he was attuned to believing his adopted grandson and let him handle the situation. The boy had only woven a few hand signs.

Code Red.

How Naruto knew the ANBU codes was beyond him but the moment he had woven those signs, he knew.

 _'There's a traitor amongst the ranks.'_

Although this was a common thing within every village, it was greatly frowned on and the repercussions of traitorous acts were execution.

The Sandaime had mused the idea of Mizuki being a traitor but had squashed it after a while. The traitor would have been more discreet after the crime he or she had orchestrated.

His thoughts were interrupted when two figures appeared in his office. He waved off his ANBU with a short chakra surge and they vacated the room.

The younger figure had knelt once he appeared in the office but the older one was still dazzled at the suddenness of their relocation.

"Mission accomplished, Hokage-sama." Said the kneeling figure in a quiet tone. The Sandaime raised an eyebrow at the action but said nothing about it.

"Rise." He commanded. "Report."

That order seemed to snap the other figure out of his daze while the one who was kneeling rose. Both stood at attention.

"Mizuki gave me a detailed map with guard schedules, as well as your own, Hokage-sama." The Hokage frowned but nodded for him to continue. "He ordered me to acquire the Forbidden Scroll from your vault and learn a justu from it. If I was to accomplish that I would have been ranked as the Rookie of The Year." Said Naruto, with a grim expression marring his tan whiskered face.

The Hokage seemed to be lost in though for a moment as he imagined how it might have turned out if it were another student who had been selected for this…mission. He sensed the figure wasn't finished, so he motioned for him to continue.

"He revealed my _status_ and as if that was not enough, he admitted to being affiliated with a known enemy of the Village." Naruto paused for a moment and glanced at Iruka. "I acquired this information through…special methods and it turns out he was in ranks with Orochimaru of the Sannin." Naruto concluded by placing the Forbidden Scroll beside the Hokage's desk as well as a smaller scroll on top of the desk.

"Troubling indeed." Mused the Sandaime out loud. "It seems my former student still has those affiliated to him within the Village. What methods did you use to discover this information?"

The boy in front of him gave a far off look and it clicked in the Hokage's mind.

Ah, _those_.

"Who are you?" Asked the Sandaime in a soft tone. That seemed to put off Iruka who didn't understand what was going on.

"Uzumaki Naruto. I managed to learn this information through his recent memories." The boy said with a slight grimace. The last he had performed this technique, he had assimilated someone else's life. It was uncomfortable to say the least.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. You've saved us much trouble with this." Said the Hokage with a smile of appreciation. "This will be recorded as a B-rank domestic joint mission and both of your pays will be sent to your accounts at the bank." He glanced at the Academy teacher who was squirming, a clear sign of curiosity. "Iruka-kun?"

"Hokage-sama, I'm sorry but I'm seriously confused. How was this a mission? What happened out there?" Iruka asked, slightly hysterical. It was Naruto who responded to him.

"I had suspected Mizuki of having an agenda towards me since the third year, sensei. So after he found me after graduation, I came straight to the Hokage and warned him. He allowed me to take the scroll and draw out Mizuki. The the rest you saw what happened." Naruto concluded with a small smile on his face.

Iruka still seemed confused – he understood what happened – at how it happened. "But how did you…kill him? I saw something…" Iruka said with a hand going through his hair. "I'm not sure what I saw but it petrified me to the core. " He said with a small laugh.

Naruto glanced at the Sandaime, who just sighed, but motioned for him to continue.

"Iruka-sensei." He started in a serious tone. "This is a secret that only a few are privy to. Can I trust you with it?" He asked.

Could he?

 _'Of course he can. He's my favour student after all and I'd never betray him.'_ Thought Iruka at the predicament he was caught in. Breaking a promise to Naruto is like betraying your own village.

"I promise you, Naruto, you can trust me." Iruka stated firmly with a smile.

"Good. Because I've been meaning to show you." Naruto said in a slightly excited tone. He then closed his eyes and opened them.

Iruka, in all his life, had been surrounded by dōjutsu of various kinds, as was every other person within the Village. Konoha had both the Sharingan and the Byakugan, powerful in their own right. But these eyes, just looking at them, he could feel the power brimming in them.

The eyes were a uncommon colour – they were silver. The most peculiar thing about them was that they, instead of having sclera and the iris, they had a small dark pupil and several concentric circles around it.

Iruka felt Naruto increase the chakra output in those eyes and for a moment – it might have been his imagination – he saw two dark spots on the innermost circle but it was gone before he could identify what it was. He was shaken out of his stupor when Naruto spoke.

"I'm sorry sensei, but this is all I can tell you and show you. One of my eyes' abilities, the _Ningendō_ , allows me to touch a person's soul and see and experience their memories. I can also rip their souls out." Naruto concluded with a grim expression. Iruka's eyes widened at the thought.

 _Rip a person's soul?!_

Iruka looked at Naruto and immediately noticed his expression and figured: it was not a pretty technique. It broke some of the laws of nature in and of itself. _How many more secrets do these eyes hold?_

"That's quite a lot to take in Naruto." Iruka said, running a hand through his hair once again and laughing nervously. "I understand why you want to keep this a secret. It's safe with me."

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei." Naruto said with a smile.

"Well, now that has been sorted. You're both dismissed." Said the Hokage. "Do be careful with the techniques you got from the scroll, Naruto. They are labelled as kinjutsu for a reason, understood?"

"Hai Jiji." Naruto replied with a two fingered mock salute to the Hokage.

"Let me take you out for Ramen, Naruto." Iruka said as they walked out of the office. He immediately regretted it when he heard Naruto shout out 'Yosh' while pulling him to the direction of Ichiraku Ramen.

 _'What did I just get myself into?'_

* * *

Konohagakure no Sato: Academy

A few days after the Forbidden Scroll incident, the prospective Genin had gathered once again in _Room 214_ , for the last time. Umino Iruka stood, once again, before his former students with a broad smile.

"It brings me great pleasure to stand before you as a comrade instead of a teacher. I am proud of all of you, and as of today, you're all shinobi and kunoichi of Konohagakure no Sato." Iruka started with a proud look of his face. "Make the Village and myself proud through your tenures as protectors of Konoha."

"Hai, Iruka-sensei." Was the resounding chorus of his former students.

"Due to the rank of Genin, you will now be divided into teams of threes under the command of a Jōnin-sensei. The teams are as follows; Team One…" Iruka carried on for a while, reading aloud the names of the members and sensei of each team.

Though most of them wouldn't qualify to become full-fledged Genin, it was always good practice to inspire them into a position that would help in the betterment and safety of the Village.

"Team Seven, under the command of Hatake Kakashi, will consist of Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata and Uzumaki Naruto." Iruka said, looking up in time to catch Naruto – who was sitting between Hinata and Sasuke – hold out his fists and both his friends bumping their own with his. Something like the Sannin indeed.

A loud whistle broke Iruka out of his reverie.

"Now that's a Team we're gonna have to keep away from, right Akamaru?" Said a wild looking boy with brown hair and purple fang-like markings on his cheeks, symbolising his status as an Inuzuka clan member.

"Kiba." The boy tensed from being directly addressed by his teacher. After a mumbled apology, Iruka continued.

"Team Eight, under the command of Yūhi Kurenai, will consist of Aburame Shino, Haruno Sakura and Inuzuka." A loud bark interrupted him and he chuckled. "And Akamaru too." Let it be known that the Inuzuka dogs were also members of the pack.

Sakura groaned at the thought of being paired off with with two boys, who in her wisdom, were the worst of the class. Though she was glad that their sensei would be a strong kunoichi.

"Team Nine is still in rotation from last year. So Team Ten, under the command of Sarutobi Asuma, will consist of Akimichi Chōji, Yamanaka Ino and Nara Shikamaru." Iruka concluded.

Ino grumbled a complaint about not being teamed up with better working – also appealing – male members in her class but otherwise she was glad to be on a team with her old friends.

Shikamaru just popped an eye open, glanced at Ino, then proceeded to fall asleep once again, resigning to his fate.

"Your Jōnin-sensei will arrive within the hour to collect you. May the Will of Fire burn brightly within you." Iruka said with a proud smile and proceeded to leave the room.

His job was done.

The members of Team Seven just glanced at each other then disappeared via _Shunshin_ leaving the surprised faces of their peers.

* * *

Konohagakure no Sato: Monumental Stone

While he was leaving the Monumental Stone, Kakashi was surprised to see his new team approaching in his direction. Although he shouldn't be surprised considering that he had been running into this trio a lot lately.

 _'They kind of remind me of my old team.'_ Kakashi mused as they approached.

Naruto – ever the talkative one – was walking between them with his hands behind his head, Hinata was on his left side giggling in a demurely manner and Sasuke on his right, with a small smile on his lips.

 _'Yep. Just like my old team.' Kakashi agreed with his observation._

"Yo." He greeted with his standard peace sign and eye smile. "Well you all seem pretty eager to become my minions – I mean my students." He really was impressed.

Hinata was garbed in an attire which consisted of a long-sleeved lavender shirt over some dark mesh amour. She also wore dark blue pants and shinobi sandals. Her hitai-ate was tied loosely around her neck. A utility pouch was placed on her right hip and a weapons pouch tied firmly around her right thigh. Her midnight blue hair was left loose, reaching just below her neckline.

Sasuke's attire consisted of what most Uchiha shinobi had worn. He was wearing a dark blue high-collared and short-sleeved shirt with the symbol of the Uchiha clan emblazoned on the back. He also wore dark blue shinobi pants and dark blue sandals. His hitai-ate was tied around his forehead, his longer-than-average jet black hair tied in a low ponytail under his headband. Around his waist was tied a dark obi that held a black sheathe that holds what seemed to be a katana with a purple hilt. His weapons pouch was on his left thigh and his utility pouch on his right hip.

 _'He looks much like Itachi when he was younger.'_ Kakashi thought, as he remembered a young Itachi who had just joined Team Ro.

Naruto, on the other hand, had forgone his midnight blue attire which he had worn during the last years at the Academy. He now wore a black mesh under-armour, a white tracksuit with three stripes on the sleeves, black ANBU-styled pants that were tapped to his ankles and black shinobi sandals. His spiky blonde hair, which had grown much longer over the years, had formed bangs framing either side of his face. His hitai-ate was tied around his forehead. His utility pouch was on his right hip but he also had weapons pouches on both his left and right thighs. On his back was a black sheathe – strapped diagonally – which held a chokuto with a moon silver hilt. His face was set in a frown.

"We're not your minions, sensei." He said folding his arms while a pout was starting to form on his lips. Kakashi just walked up to them and started patting Naruto and Sasuke's heads condescendingly – a habit he had started doing recently.

"That's what you think." Kakashi said while carrying on with the petting. The boys began swatting his hands away, Sasuke scowling the whole time.

"Well," Kakashi started in a chipper tone. "Before you become Genin, you have to pass a test." He looked up to the sky then back down at the Genin. "Since it's well past noon, can we reschedule for tomorrow morning, at eight am?"

The Genin in front of him seemed to contemplate it for a moment, then the others looked towards Naruto, who then nodded at Kakashi.

"That should be fine." He said offhandedly. "I mean, I do understand that you want to rest before running around from kids like us." At this point Hinata was failing at stidfling her giggles and Sasuke was chuckling. Kakashi frowned.

"Hey that wasn't nice." Kakashi said indignantly. "I've told you guys that I'm only twenty eight years old and my hair has always been this colour.." He said while running his hand through his silver hair. The trio just kept on laughing at him. He sighed.

"I'll see you guys at Training Ground Seven tomorrow at 8am. Don't eat breakfast…or you might puke." Then he left via _Shunshin_.

The three new members just looked at each other after Kakashi's abrupt leave. Then they just shrugged, more time for them to prepare for the test.

"Hey teme, there's this sweet move I think we should…" Started Naruto as they were leaving, unaware that Kakashi was watching from a tree close by.

 _'You are so much like him now, Naruto. So much like them.'_ Kakashi smiled as he started tailing his students. _'Tomorrow will be an interesting day.'_

* * *

Author's note.

I've started writing again and hopefully the next chapter will be complete by the middle of the coming week. I can't keep that promise of updating my book bi-weekly because the plot just keeps getting a lot thicker and these ideas I've been drafting lately might have me writing new books as well. But fear not, this will be my main story. Peace.

dv.


End file.
